Industrial pollution and wastes

Functions practised: persuading, stating and justifying opinions.

Vocabulary Area: waste, junk, trash, debris, sewage, garbage, acid rain, greenhouse gas, fossil fuel, effluent, leakage, water supply, to pollute, pollutant, to dissolve, layer, to reduce, diaper, incinerator, landfill site, to damage, to recycle, to discharge, to purify.

Listening and speaking

I. Listen to the conversation between Andy and Carla discussing the measures that can be taken against pumping chemicals into the river. Choose from the list below the two suggestions they produce.

A to put the factory on fire

B to get a TV station to run a story on it

C to organize an action of protest

D to talk to the management of Apex Industries

II. Guess what else Andy and Carla could do to get the factory to stop polluting the river.

Listen to the rest of the conversation and see whether your guesses were right.

III. If you were the members of the Greener World organization what would you do in this situation. Give your reasons. Reading

Pre-reading

Which of the following industries do you think causes the most industrial air pollution?

a chemicals

b steel

c electricity

d textiles

e gas

Talk to your partner. Guess if you don’t know! Then quickly glance through the opening paragraph to check your answer.

Reading

Read the text and do the tasks that follow.

The volume of both industrial and domestic waste has increased dramatically over the past 50 years. Industrial air pollution includes the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). It also includes sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, which lead to acid rain. The largest single cause of industrial air pollution is the electricity industry. All fossil fuels produce carbon dioxide; coal and crude oil also produce sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. Air pollution from industrial accidents occasionally causes major health problems.

Water pollution from industry can occur intentionally, when factories discharge their effluents directly into rivers, lakes and oceans, or unintentionally, when accidents cause leakage of toxic waste into the water supply. Factory effluents also discharge large pieces of solid waste such as disused machinery, plastic sheets and wire netting. This junk is not only ugly; both animals and ships can become entangled in the debris.

Another pollutant of water is oil. Some of it comes from accidents, some from deliberate washing of tanks at sea and some from industrial effluents. Oil coats the feathers of sea birds and the scales of fish. It also has a less visible toxic effect: it reduces the level of oxygen dissolved in the water. Without dissolved oxygen, the sea cannot support any life at all. As well as the fish and seagulls that we can see, oil kills millions of tiny plants and animals in the deeper layers of the ocean. Acid rain is another important cause of water pollution and the destruction of aquatic life. Yet another cause is thermal pollution. Industries which use water for cooling (such as nuclear power stations) increase the temperature of nearby rivers and lakes by 5-10 degrees. Thermal pollution kills some animals and plants outright. In addition, together with domestic sewage and artificial fertilizers, it promotes overgrowth of bacteria and algae and disrupts the aquatic ecosystem. Industries argue that it would cost too much money to cool the water down before releasing it into the environment.

Soil pollution occurs when industrial waste is buried or dumped on the land, and via polluted air and water. Sulphur dioxide in the air coats the leaves of plants blocking out the sun’s light and preventing growth. Crop yields are reduced and sulphur accumulates in the soil. The banks of some rivers can no longer support the growth of plants because heavy metals and other toxins have entered the soil from the water. It is impossible to remove most of these toxins; in some cases it will take thousands of years for their levels to fall sufficiently for the soil to support life again.

Domestic waste is another environmental problem. “Throwaway” products such as cans, plastic bags and disposable diapers are all avoidable sources of domestic waste. When you buy a takeout meal the packaging often weighs more than the food! Domestic waste is either burned in large incinerators or buried in landfill sites. Both these processes cause environmental damage. Burning garbage produces carbon dioxide, toxic fumes, soot and other airborne particles as well as an unpleasant smell. Burying garbage in landfill sites can contaminate the soil with toxic products, which then enter the water supply. Another hazard of landfill sites is the generation of explosive gases.

When people learn of the irresponsible dumping of industrial waste into rivers and oceans, they are usually horrified. But on a smaller scale, most of us are just as irresponsible with our own waste. About 80 % of all our domestic waste can be recycled. Most developed countries now have recycling centers for glass, paper, aluminium cans and plastic. But we are often too busy or too lazy to sort our trash for recycling. If we do not change our philosophy of “live now; pay later”, our children will bear the burden of our throwaway lifestyle.

Follow-up